foliation

American  

[foh-lee-ey-shuhn] / ˌfoʊ liˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of putting forth leaves.

2. the state of being in leaf.

3. Botany.

   1. the arrangement of leaves within a bud.

   2. the arrangement of leaves on a plant.

4. leaves or foliage.

5. Printing. the consecutive numbering of the folios or leaves, as distinguished from pages, of a manuscript or book.

6. the total number of such leaves.

7. Petrology. a form of lamination produced in rocks by metamorphism.

8. ornamentation with foliage, or an arrangement of foliage.

9. Architecture.

   1. ornamentation with foils.

   2. ornamentation with representations of foliage.

10. formation into thin sheets.

11. the application of foil to glass to make a mirror.

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foliation British  

/ ˌfəʊlɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. botany

   1. the process of producing leaves

   2. the state of being in leaf

   3. the arrangement of leaves in a leaf bud; vernation

2. architect

   1. ornamentation consisting of foliage

   2. ornamentation consisting of cusps and foils

3. any decoration with foliage

4. the consecutive numbering of the leaves of a book

5. geology the arrangement of the constituents of a rock in leaflike layers, as in schists

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foliation Scientific  

/ fō′lē-ā′shən /

1. The set of layers visible in many metamorphic rocks as a result of the flattening and stretching of mineral grains during metamorphism.

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Other Word Forms

• subfoliation noun
• superfoliation noun

Etymology

Origin of foliation

First recorded in 1615–25; foliate + -ion

Example Sentences

Thumbnail: Folded foliation in a metamorphic rock from near Geirangerfjord, Norway.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

In a manner like the Gros Ventre slide, foliation planes of weakness in metamorphic rock outcrops were parallel with the surface, compromising shear strength.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Schistosity is a textural description of foliation created by the parallel alignment of platy visible grains.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

If they lie on a plane with mica, but with no common or preferred direction, this is foliation.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

The foliation of German work was generally crisp and full of convolutions in its minor features, though the leading lines were boldly conceived.

From Rambles of an Archaeologist Among Old Books and in Old Places Being Papers on Art, in Relation to Archaeology, Painting, Art-Decoration, and Art-Manufacture by Fairholt, F. W. (Frederick William)